Refrigerant Reclaim in Thailand 2026 — DIW-Certified Facility List + ROI Guide

Almost all Thai factories using HFC cooling systems (R-22 / R-410A / R-134a / R-404A) forfeit 30-60% of their refrigerant cost because they treat refrigerant as single-use and discard it every time — even though the Kigali Amendment + TIS 3008-2562 + EPA Section 608 mandate the Reclaim process that restores refrigerant back to virgin-equivalent quality per the AHRI 700-2019 standard.

This article summarizes (1) how reclaim differs from recovery + recycle, (2) DIW-registered facilities in Thailand, (3) an ROI calculator + factory examples, (4) the steps to connect with Saha service.

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Reclaim ≠ Recovery ≠ Recycle — The 3R of the Refrigerant Lifecycle

Per EPA Section 608 + ISO 11650:

The AHRI 700-2019 rules that reclaimed refrigerant must pass:

• Air (non-condensables) ≤ 1.5% by volume
• Water ≤ 10 ppm
• Acidity ≤ 1 ppm (HCl equivalent)
• High-boiling residue ≤ 0.01% by volume
• Particulates not visible to the naked eye under 50× magnification
• Cross-contamination (other refrigerants) ≤ 0.5%

flowchart LR
    A[Old HVAC system] -->|Recovery| B[Recovery Cylinder DOT-39]
    B -->|Inspect condition| C{Reuse same system?}
    C -->|Yes - do on-site| D[Recycle
filter-drier + oil sep]
    D -->|Return to same unit| A
    C -->|No - resell/reuse| E[Send to DIW-cert facility]
    E -->|Multi-stage distillation| F[Reclaim AHRI 700]
    F -->|COA + invoice| G[Customer / market]

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DIW-Certified Reclamation Facilities in Thailand — May 2026

The Department of Industrial Works (DIW), under the Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2562, issues licenses to establishments that recover + reclaim refrigerant and that have passed:

1. EPA Section 608 Type I-V training or equivalent — every technician must pass
2. AHRI 700 compliant equipment — distillation + GC analyzer + leak detection
3. A chain-of-custody system — tracking the cylinder from intake to release out
4. Annual audit by the DIW + the Pollution Control Department

Facilities registered in Thailand (data as of May 2026, list can be updated at diw.go.th):

Do not use a facility that is not DIW-registered — the refrigerant produced may not pass AHRI 700, lacks chain of custody, and has no COA → resulting in your new HVAC system being out of spec, voided warranty, and long-term compressor damage. DIW reporting must be tracked by law.

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ROI Calculator: A 1,000-Ton-of-Cooling Factory

Scenario A: No reclaim (decommission → discard + buy new)

HVAC system:

• Chiller 1,000 TR (R-410A charge ~ 500 kg)
• Annual leak rate ~ 5% = 25 kg/year released
• 5-year cumulative: ~125 kg

Cost over 5 years:

• Virgin R-410A: ~฿890/kg × 125 kg = ฿111,250
• Recovery cost (hiring a technician): ~฿80/kg × 125 kg = ฿10,000
• Total cost (5 years): ฿121,250

Scenario B: Reclaim every time

Cost over 5 years:

• Reclaim service: ~฿280/kg × 125 kg = ฿35,000
• Total cost (5 years): ฿35,000

Savings:

graph LR
    A[Scenario A:
Discard + buy new
฿121,250] -->|Save ฿86,250 = 71%| B[Scenario B:
Reclaim
฿35,000]

5-year return: ฿86,250 saved (71%)

Additional note: the ROI is even better for R-22 (virgin ฿2,000+/kg phase-out price), R-1234yf (virgin ฿2,800+/kg), or R-404a (commercial refrigeration). Large 5,000+ TR systems can save ฿400,000-700,000 over 5 years.

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Saha Service Flow — Recover + Send to Reclaim

Saha is a distributor + service partner between the customer's factory and a DIW-certified facility:

sequenceDiagram
    participant C as Customer (Factory)
    participant S as Saha
    participant F as DIW Reclaim Facility
    C->>S: Request a reclaim service quotation
    S->>C: Send cost + lead time + COA spec
    C->>S: Approve + specify HVAC system
    S->>C: Send DOT-39 cylinder + recovery technician
    Note over S,C: Technician performs on-site recovery
(30 min - 2 hr)
    S->>F: Transport the recovered cylinder
    Note over F: Multi-stage distillation
+ GC analyzer test
    F->>S: Send reclaimed refrigerant + COA AHRI 700
    S->>C: Return reclaimed refrigerant + COA + invoice for the difference (virgin - service)

Standard lead time: 7-14 days depending on refrigerant type + queue at the facility.

Documentation Saha provides to the customer:

1. Recovery cert signed by a technician who passed EPA Section 608
2. Transfer manifest (chain of custody)
3. Reclamation COA per AHRI 700 — purity for every parameter
4. DIW reporting form (for factories using HFC > 200 kg/yr)
5. Tax invoice + service warranty of 6 months

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Steps to Start Using the Service — A 5-Item Checklist

Before contacting Saha for reclaim service, prepare the following:

• HVAC system inventory — chiller/AHU tonnage + refrigerant type + charge size
• Leak history — how many kg/year of refrigerant released, from the service log
• Existing refrigerant cylinders — DOT-39 if available (reduces cost), or we provide them
• Service frequency — one-time, quarterly, annual contract
• Compliance requirement — DIW reporting (≥ 200 kg/yr) + Kigali quota submission

Contact for a quote: Refrigerant service quotation form → the team will send the process + cost + lead time + ROI calculator within 48 hr.

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Conclusion

Reclaiming refrigerant is not merely an ESG/CSR talking point — it is a tool to reduce HVAC maintenance cost by 30-60% per year, per the AHRI 700-2019 benchmark. Factories using 100+ kg/yr of HFC should start this year before the Kigali quota cuts HFC by another 10% in 2029 (the virgin price will rise another 15-30%).

Compliance bonus: TIS 3008-2562 + DIW reporting demonstrate due diligence that large corporations + ESG investors + international supplier audits (Apple/Toyota/Mercedes) take into account when making business-partnership decisions.

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Read on: Recovery vs Recycle vs Reclaim — Refrigerant Lifecycle Compare — a full comparison table of 12 topics + verdict + FAQ.